Learning to Swim as an Adult: Overcoming Negativity and Self-Doubt
My struggles with swimming, strategies for tackling self-doubt, and some words of wisdom from pro triathlete Lisa Roberts! Part 5 of my journey in triathlon — read parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 here.
My 90-year-old Grannie learnt to swim when she was 60. This is the same Grannie who gets Ubers to and from her aqua swim class, and got an Instagram account before I did. If anyone embodies the motto ‘its never too late to learn’, it’s her.
So why do I, a mere 25-year-old with no particular physical ailments to excuse myself with, find myself thinking that it’s too late for me to learn to swim? Why do I slow down after half a paltry length of high effort + poor speed, because my mind is screaming ‘whats the point?’ Why do I sometimes end up skulking out of the pool halfway through a session, shoulders slumped, because I’ve been defeated by a stab of negativity: “I’ll always be a rubbish swimmer”?
There’s no denying the fact that most top triathletes tend to have swum competitively growing up. It takes years and years and hours and hours in the pool to develop the right motor skills and grow the right muscles, and adults coming to triathlon later in life sometimes find they are simply fighting a losing battle against time.
As a result, many training plans for time-crunched amateur athletes do indeed limit time spent in the pool, with the pragmatic rationale that time spent biking and running is likely to yield far higher speed gains for the amount of time and effort invested. Swimming is, after all, the shortest discipline in a triathlon.
But is that really the final answer? Does that mean we give up before we even Tri? Of course not. We can still make massive efficiency and speed gains by working hard on technique drills and fitness sets, even if we won’t end up being top triathlete swimmer Lucy Charles (as much as that is genuinely my goal in life..) Swimming progress isn’t linear, and the only way to improve seems to be to stay positive and be patient.
I’ve been struggling with this recently, and I’m writing this post as much to indoctrinate myself as to share my ideas with you all (motivational comments / messages would be much appreciated!) — but I do have some thoughts on strategies to overcome negativity and foster self-belief. Here are a select few (I’ve eliminated the ones involving crying, temper tantrums, and chocolate muffins):
Brushing off the negativity
I’ve developed a habit of ‘brushing off’ negative thoughts or comments from myself or other people — not just figuratively, I literally make a brushing action with my hands on my shoulders, as if getting rid of dandruff (or executing a dodgy dance move). It’s my way of stopping the negativity from sticking, hitting the ‘reset’ button, and protecting myself from the dip in mood and motivation that can ensue. At least I can do this underwater with no-one watching.
Positive self-talk
I’ve also been developing the skill of positive ‘self-talk’: training my brain to focus on motivational phrases rather than negative ones. Research has shown it to be an effective way to enhance self confidence, reduce perception of effort, and ultimately boost endurance performance — demonstrating the inextricable link between mental and physical performance. I prepare positive phrases like a battle toolkit, to combat negative phrases I know will likely appear during training or a race (see here for some ideas).
Inspiration bubble-wrap
And finally, surround yourself with people and messages that inspire you. I like to imagine myself encased in a protective wall of bubble-wrap, preventing negativity and self-doubt from inflicting harm. At a day to day level, my husband is my #1 supporter and is always able to cheer me up with his unwavering (though maybe blinded?) belief in me. My coach is fab at keeping me focused on the long game, ignoring crappy training sessions and momentary blips in performance (check her out here). And I’ve collected a myriad of inspirational role models to follow on Instagram (i.e., female professional triathletes). In particular, I’ve found it super motivating to know that some of the top athletes in the world also had to go through the frustration of learning to swim as an adult. Here are some of my favourite examples:
- Mirinda Carfrae, 3x Ironman World Champion
After playing basketball and running growing up, Mirinda first got into triathlon after high school. I think she has an exemplary attitude: when she shows the triathlon coach her swim technique for the first time, she isn’t put off by his lack of enthusiasm, but is excited to take a weakness and turn it into a strength.
“I dove in and swam 25 meters, looked up at him [the triathlon coach] and he shook his head and walked away. But something inside of me was ignited. I was so excited about the possibility of this new challenge.” — article in Triathlete magazine
She is also an example of how patience and perseverance pays off in the long run, even when at times it seems like she isn’t improving:
“For me, swimming is a constant battle… You can’t just work harder. You can’t just try harder and get better results. Sometimes the harder you try, the worse, slower you go…”- ‘We are triathletes’ documentary
And despite all that, she’s still won the World Ironman Championships 3 times?? Must be doing something right!
2. Lucy Gossage, 5x winner of Ironman UK and top 10 Kona finisher
My second example is Lucy Gossage, someone who came to triathlon later in life but has still racked up an impressive list of Ironman wins. She’s evidence that humility and patience pays off — in this post I love how she describes spending months swimming with 8 year olds and kicking on her side before progressing to proper swimming:
“I never learnt to swim ‘properly’ — and sadly, as I’ve found out, I am definitely not a natural at it… So this winter I’ve invested significant amounts of time in trying to work on my swimming. And really the whole process has been a lesson in humility.” — article on Lucy Gossage’s website
3. Lisa Roberts, 5x iron-distance champion
And finally, there’s professional triathlete and 5x iron-distance champion Lisa Roberts. I first learnt about her through this article, and was encouraged to see that she doesn’t consider herself the most naturally athletic person:
“Honestly, I’m far from the most athletically gifted or talented person out there. But I try to make up for it in pure grit and determination. My strength is my tenacity and sheer stubbornness to never give up.” — article in Triathlete magazine
And in addition to that, she was kind enough to reply to my personal request for tips on overcoming a swim weakness:
“Ah yes, the swim. It has taken me a long time to be at peace with it and that didn’t come without many, MANY swim sessions that I cut short, performed sloppily or at times flat-out skipped because I just didn’t see any progress.
Unless we grew up swimming or have the right genetics for it, swimming will always be an uphill battle for most triathletes. But where we can turn the tide is to stop beating ourselves up about it and do the work, day in & day out. Since I’ve done that I’ve come around to faster bike & run splits that have even snagged me a few wins and podiums. I don’t look at my watch when I come out of the water and then spend the whole bike wallowing in pity. I just get out, knowing I haven’t taxed my body too much, and carry on with the business of biking and running to the best of my ability. Most importantly, it has made me enjoy the process that much more!
I have a trigger that when I put on the swim cap & goggles, that’s my cue to cut the judgement. Then it’s time to get to work and do the best I can on that day!
It’s so reassuring to see that even she cut short or skipped sessions at times! I think the idea of taking the pressure off and focusing on conserving energy for the bike / run makes total sense, and I’ve started trying out the ‘no judgement’ approach. This morning I decided not to look at my swim pace at all during my session, and ended up achieving the longest and most enjoyable swim I’ve had in weeks.
So what have I learnt here? It sounds quite cliché, but patience and perseverance really do seem to pay off, plus an attitude of not judging yourself and just getting on with putting in the work. Will it work? Let’s see — just ask me how my swim is going in 5 years’ time…
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